Challenges
by Wicked42
Summary: Ryo is confused about his feelings of Rika. As he's sorting them out, he bumps into the said girl and pops a question. Ryuki.


A/N: Okay, just so we're clear: I hate the third, fourth, and fifth season of digimon. I don't really like any of the characters in any of them (and I especially don't like how the fourth season doesn't even have digimon PARTNERS). I'm a first/second season kind of girl, and a Takari fan through and through. Only problem is that at this point and time, I'm sort of... bored with reading Takari fanfiction. So I decided to expand my horizons. Here's the result. :)

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**Challenges**

Ryo stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, twirling his pencil between his fingers, deep in thought. His unfinished homework sat beside him, though school was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment. Cyberdramon was leaning against the side of the bed, copying his tamer's motion of watching nothing at all. Finally Ryo rolled over to lean on his arm, turning his attention to the window across the room.

"Why is she always on my mind, Cyberdramon?" he inquired, not really expecting an answer from his fierce digimon. When the digimon didn't answer, Ryo sighed. "I mean, every time I get a quiet moment, I think of _her_ again! It's driving me crazy. I think something's wrong with me…" Again he looked at the large digimon, cocking his head.

Cyberdramon growled out an answer, "Maybe you're right."

"Helpful as always," Ryo rolled his eyes sarcastically, though his digimon clearly missed the tone. Realizing that he wouldn't get any more of an answer from Cyberdramon, he plopped back down on his pillow, his right hand—still grasping the pencil—at his side, while his left hand helped support his head. He closed his sapphire eyes and frowned slightly.

_Who am I kidding? I'm not stupid… Even _Kazu_ could figure out that I've fallen in love with that girl, _Ryo thought dryly. An image slowly formed on the dark palette of his eyelids, and he groaned in frustration when the face of a certain redhead with flashing violet eyes stared mockingly at him. He quickly opened his eyes, watching the white ceiling as if it were the most interesting thing in the world while his mind whirled a mile a minute.

_I can't fall in love with her. I'm only fourteen, for God's sake; I'm not even supposed to _like_ girls for another few years! …Right?_ Ryo blinked twice. _Though I suppose that didn't exactly work for Takato. He hooked up with Jeri mere weeks after the D-Reaper attack. And now that everything's settled down, Kazu and Kenta have made it their mission to find hot girls to date for freshman year of high school. Okay, scratch that—I'm _behind_ when it comes to relationships and girls. _

_But why Rita?! She's so god damn stubborn… she _can't_ be good for my health. With all the risks she and Renamon take, I'm surprised I haven't died of a heart attack already. And she always acts like she knows everything—like she's the queen of the world, and everyone else are merely servants. She rarely gets close to anyone. People are afraid to befriend her because of her cold attitude. How can I love someone like that?_

_Because of how she acts when she's around friends, that's why, _Ryo smiled slightly. _She drops her guard when she thinks no one's watching. She smiles, and laughs, and forgets about every horrible thing that's ever happened to her. But Jeri smiles and laughs too—how come I was never attracted to her?_

"Argh!" Ryo sat up, running a hand down his face. "Why is this so damn hard?"

"You need to get out," Cyberdramon turned his head to face his tamer. "You're thinking too much."

Ryo climbed off of his bed, running a hand through his hair, "Yeah, I guess you're right. You coming?"

"I'll be around," Cyberdramon said shortly, standing as well—although he had to crouch to avoid hitting the bedroom ceiling. He then opened the window and leapt out, spreading his wings and soaring off. Ryo shook his head and left the room in a less conspicuous way: the door. After slipping on his shoes and leaving a note for his mother, he left the house, heading for the nearby park.

_That's the question that's driving me mad…_ Ryo thought as he thrust his hands in his pockets. _Why. Why does she stand out from every other girl that's ever had a crush on me? _

Suddenly, Ryo stopped, gaping, "Of course! That's it!" he grinned fiercely. "It's because of the _challenge_!"

A nearby couple eyed him cautiously, and he cleared his throat and kept walking, enjoying the feel of the breeze on his skin. _I've always loved a good challenge. Now that I think of it, Rika's the only girl—besides Jeri, who was already hung up on Takato—that hasn't had a crush on me. She's never once sweet-talked me or showed any interest other than what was necessary. Even when I fought her in the Digimon Grand Prix, she was concerned with only winning, not the details of her opponent. _

_She didn't respond to me when I fought her, and I thought that if I beat her, she'd finally say something. _He scoffed. _Stupid of me. All she did was get mad and storm off. Then when I saw her again in the digital world and pretended not to remember her, she only got colder. Even now, she rarely smiles when I talk with her—it's like she's still mad at me for beating her in that battle. _

_But, she _does_ blush when I call her those nicknames, or flirt with her. Maybe she doesn't hate me at all. Maybe she's just so _used_ to hating me that she can't show her true feelings without the risk of ruining her reputation as the 'Ice Queen'. _

He bumped into someone, and was jolted back to reality as the person fell to the ground with an 'Oomph'. He quickly turned to see who he had hit, and couldn't decide whether he wanted to laugh or cry when he noticed it was Rika. Speak of the devil, and the devil shall come.

"Oww… Watch where you're going, jerk," she snapped, looking up at him. "Oh, it's you, Ryo."

He flashed her his trademark grin, holding out a hand to help her up, "So wonderful to _run_ into you on such a fine day, Kitten."

She ignored his hand, standing up on her own, "Don't call me that, it's belittling."

"Or flattering."

"Belittling," she stared evenly at him. "What are you doing out here?"

Ryo shrugged causally, "Thinking. Is that a crime now?"

Rika huffed and said nothing, folding her arms. Ryo peered closer.

"And why are _you_ out here all alone? It's not safe for girls."

She made a face, "My mom signed me up for _another_ photo shoot. I had to get away."

"Uh huh…" he grinned at the idea, but squelched it to a small quirk of his lips when she turned her icy glare at him. "And where's Renamon?"

"Off somewhere," Rika clearly didn't seem distressed about this idea. Not that he could blame her—he had no idea where Cyberdramon had flown off to.

"I see," he straightened and held out his arm. "Well, then, care to join me on my walk?"

She stared in disgust at his arm and pulled out her sunglasses instead of taking it, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She donned the dark glasses and started walking, leaving Ryo to catch up. He did so easily, trying to keep from smiling like an idiot at the fact that he was able to spend time with the girl of his dreams (literally).

"So, I hear Takato's having a hard time deciding how to ask Jeri to the next school dance," he said conversationally.

Rika glanced at him, "Hmm. He could send her a pile of manure, and she'd still say yes."

Ryo laughed. He couldn't help it—the way she had deadpanned that was just so funny. Rika raised an eyebrow at him in condensation, but as she did so the corner of her lip quirked into a smile.

"That's so true," Ryo chuckled, grinning cheerfully at her. "How about you?"

"What?" Rika narrowed her eyes. "I wouldn't go out with Takato if he sent me enough roses to fill my bedroom."

He blinked twice, "I meant, are _you_ planning on going to the dance?"

She looked away, surveying the lake that was on their right with a sudden interest, "It's not worth it if I don't have a date."

"So you're going to miss out on everything because you don't have a date?"

"Yes." She didn't need to say that she'd be the _only_ one of their group without a date if she chose to go. Henry, Kazu, and Kenta had all asked girls in their homeroom class, and Takato was obviously planning on taking Jeri. "Are you going?"

Ryo put his hands behind his head, "Maybe, if the girl I want to ask says yes."

She turned to face him again, curiosity hidden behind a cold mask of violet, "Who are you going to ask?"

"I'll give you a hint," he loved playing games with her. It was all about the challenge. "You know her _very_ well."

Rika cocked her head, confusion showing through her stoic face, "The only girl I know really well besides myself is Jeri, and she's already going with Takato…" her face paled slightly, and then she flushed a bright fuchsia. "W-what are you saying, Ryo?"

"Rika, will you go to the school dance with me?" he considered getting down on one knee for the dramatic effect he so loved, but decided that she probably wouldn't appreciate it. Instead, he settled for another trademark grin, though his eyes glinted with sincerity.

She froze, losing all of her composure as she gaped at him, clearly oblivious of how to respond. Several times, she opened her mouth to say something, and that same amount of times she closed it again, growing more and more flustered. Ryo waited patiently, calm on the outside and fluttering like a captured butterfly on the inside. Finally Rika cried out and shoved him.

"Why are you asking me this?!" she demanded harshly, still bright red.

He took a step back, frowning, "I wasn't aware that I said anything offensive."

"God, Ryo, you _know_ I don't go to dances…" she was clearly torn between sticking to her strict morals and going out on a limb to try something new.

"But maybe it's time to try something new," he suggested.

She glared at him, but said nothing. Probably because she couldn't think of anything to say. He had rendered her near speechless with a simple question.

Ryo's eyes softened, "Please, Rika? We'd have a lot of fun, and if you don't like the dance, then we'll leave and go throw rocks at people's windows, okay?"

She breathed out a laugh at this thought, but shook her head slowly, "It's not the dance that I'm opposed to…"

She didn't need to clarify further. Ryo sighed with as much dignity as he could and ran a hand through his hair, "Okay, fine, I get it. Maybe next time, then."

"No, that's not it, Ryo," she stopped his retreat with hand, grabbing his arm. "I—I've never actually been on a date before. I don't know if I can live up to your standards."

He laughed lightly, "That's what you're worried about?"

She glared fiercely at him, "My love life is none of your concern, and you don't have the right to laugh at it."

"Putting that aside, would you go to the dance with me, then?"

Rita watched him, contemplating. Then she sighed in defeat, "Fine."

"Yes!" Ryo pumped his fist in the air and wrapped his arm around a very miserable-looking Rika. "I'm going to go to the dance with the hottest, if not cruelest, girl in school!"

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Watching from the trees above their tamers, Renamon and Cyberdramon exchanged glances.

"He's not very good at this, is he?" the fox digimon inquired calmly, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Cyberdramon laughed throatily, something only Renamon had the pleasure of hearing, "No."

They turned their attention on the two humans below them, and winced as Rika landed a punch on Ryo's shoulder. She stalked off, and Ryo stared at her retreating form for a moment before coming to his senses and running after her, shouting apologies. Renamon cocked her head thoughtfully.

"I wonder what possessed him to ask Rika on a date…" she mused. Cyberdramon leaned against the trunk of the tree, folding his wings in slightly.

"He loves a challenge."

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A/N: Slight Ryuki fluff, I suppose. :P Hope you all enjoyed, and I might make a second chapter if you all **review **and tell me you want one. ;) No less than ten reviews will convince me to spend the time to make another chapter, however.


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